Ride of Silence promotes sharing the road, safety

Thursday

One by one the riders counted off. When the count reached 50, a cheer went up to celebrate the strong turnout.

The group had gathered for the annual Ride of Silence, an event to honor cyclists who have been injured or killed while riding on public roads.

Wednesday marked the 14th year for the ride here in Gaston County. Bicycle riders also took to the streets in other cities in North Carolina, from Asheville to Wilmington. About 322 rides were held across the country.

"You are part of a pretty big showing," said Aaron "Doc" Bradshaw, an attorney speaking to participants gathered at the Gaston County Courthouse where the ride started.

He said while the purpose of the ride is to raise awareness for motorists to share the road, cyclists must also do their part.

"What is bicycle safety? It's two things: Be visible, and be predictive," he said.

Safety experts say being visible means wearing light clothing, using correct hand signals, and riding with a front white light and a red rear reflector or red blinking light. Being predictive means staying in the correct position in the lane, stopping for stop signs and signal lights.

After Bradshaw's remarks, the riders left the courthouse parking lot about 7 p.m., escorted by the Gastonia Police Department on an eight-mile loop taking them down Long/Ozark Avenue to New Hope Road to Court Drive past Gaston Memorial Hospital to Cox Road and then back out to Franklin Boulevard.

The cyclists rode two abreast, in silence, on some of Gastonia's busiest streets.

That silence was occasionally interrupted by the blare of music coming from a passing car. Some motorists honked their horns and waved to show support for the cyclists.

As the group neared the Choice USA plant on Franklin Boulevard shouts to "get off the road" came from one driver headed in the opposite direction — something cyclists are all too familiar with.

This was the first time Gastonia resident Kayotta Barber has taken part in the Ride of Silence and he said he was glad he came out for the event.

He's been riding bikes since 2000 and said when he worked in uptown Charlotte, he would park at the Scaleybark light rail station and ride his bike to his banking job in uptown Charlotte.

Another participant, Angel Cuenca, president of the Gaston County Cyclists, said the group wants to spread the message that cyclists represent "precious lives" and that they have a legal right to the public roadways.

"Unfortunately drivers are not paying attention on the roads and also not respecting our safety," said Cuenca. "The ride honors those who have lost their lives or have been injured on the road while cycling. So we feel that an event of this magnitude brings the perfect message and awareness to the general public that we want to portray."

Kurt Matheson, past president of the group, agrees that one of the greatest challenges facing cyclists and their safety is distracted drivers. Things like cellphones and music players pose a danger not just to cyclists, but to everyone on the road.

"The Ride of Silence exists to honor those who have been injured or killed; to raise awareness that we are here and to ask that we all share the road," said Matheson. "We must learn to 'co-exist.'"

The first Ride of Silence took place in 2002 in Dallas, Texas. It was supposed to be a one-time event, but has been repeated every year since then. The annual ride is held on the third Wednesday in May during National Bike Month.

Other National Bike Month events being observed locally include a Ride-to-Work event taking place today (Friday, May 17), sponsored by the city of Gastonia.

Riders will gathering at 7:30 a.m. at Lineberger Park, 632 Garrison Blvd. The 1.5 mile ride showcases the city's new bike lanes that connects the park with downtown Gastonia.

Will MacDonald, the Gazette's Lifestyle editor, is an avid cyclist. You can reach him at 704-869-1838 or wmacdonald@gastongazette.com.

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